Stop and Reverse
by mistlove
Summary: Sometimes, more often than he'd like to admit, Raven wishes he possessed a "Reverse Flow" arte. Post-game Ravita.


**Title:** Stop and Reverse  
**Summary:** Sometimes, more often than he'd like to admit, Raven wishes he possessed a "Reverse Flow" arte. Post-game Ravita.  
**Author:** mistlove  
**Copyrights:** Plot is mine. Everything else belongs to Namco Bandai.  
**A/N:**Couple of references this time! A few to Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

* * *

Raven sighs as he fires one final arrow to finish the monster off. It disappears in a flash of white light.

"You're breathing hard, old man?" Yuri asks, amusement clear in his voice. He props a hand against his hip, smirking at him.

Raven waves a loose hand. "M'fine, kid."

Today, Judith isn't here. It's him, Yuri, Repede, and Rita. Not quite the usual group.

Raven turns to the mage with open arms and a wide grin. "Well, Rita darlin', how'd old Raven do? That performance was all fer you after'll."

"Stuff it, old man," she mutters, eyes glinting dangerously. She dusts off her battle mage uniform fiercely, glaring at him meanwhile. "I'm not a replacement for Judith."

The silly atmosphere instantly drops at Rita's words. Yuri looks uncharacteristically uncomfortable and Repede's tail is curving towards the ground.

Knowing better than to confront Rita's angry accusation seriously, he plays up his usual mock-offended tone. "I'm hurt, Rita darlin'!" He scratches the back of his head, bowing towards her slightly. "I ain't a broken record!"

"You could've fooled me," Rita snarls. She spins on her heel, storming off.

Raven honestly doesn't know why she's suddenly so angry. She'd requested their help to go back to the Sands of Kogorh because she had wanted to research something there. They agreed to meet in Capua Torim, a good in-between for Dahngrest and Halure. They're currently making their way towards the Weasland of Cados from Nordopolica. They've been in each other's companies for four or so days now and Rita has acted normal so far so why the sudden change in attitude now?

He glances at Yuri helplessly who just shakes his head.

"No way, old man." He paces after Rita. "I'm not getting involved."

The archer watches as Repede follows after his owner, also shaking his head. Rita keeps power-walking ahead with Yuri lingering far enough back to give her space, but close enough in case they need to fight.

"Hey, now, Rita!" he calls finally, running to catch up. "Why are ya so mad at little ol' me?"

"Who says I'm mad?" she snaps back, green eyes sharp with anger.

"Your everything," he mutters under his breath. He clears his throat. "Ya just seemed a bit snappier than usual. Did I say something ta upset ya?"

Rita snorts, waving him off. "Save it. I can do without insincere apologies right now."

Frustrated, he snatches her wrist, forcing her to stop to look at him. "Look, little lady, we're gonna be with each other fer at least another week and I don't fancy being yelled at that whole time," he says slowly, voice low and warning.

Rita stares at him, surprised by his suddenly serious manner. The shock in her eyes is quickly replaced with fiery rage again. She snaps her arm out of his grasp.

"If you don't want to get yelled at, then don't talk to me."

He doesn't reply and watches as she turns and continues to walk away.

Yuri catches up to him and stops, smacking his sword up onto his shoulder. "It's up to me to be the peacekeeper, huh?" His tone is quieter, pensive, serious.

Raven can't help but chuckle. "Yeah. Sorry, kiddo. Don't know what's up with her."

Yuri shrugs as if he doesn't know either.

But they both know he and Rita have a complicated relationship and that it's coming back to bite them in the ass.

They set up camp for the night not far from the Weasland of Cados. Yuri and Repede are curled together on the mats, revealing an uncharacteristically softer side to the two warriors.

Rita's sitting on her bed roll with her knees pulled up to her chest, her intense gaze on the flickering campfire.

He's lying back on his own bedroll next to Yuri, staring pensively up at the stars.

"Hey, old man."

He's tempted not to answer, but he ends up sitting up. He crosses his legs and closes his hands around his ankles absently, gaze on the mage.

"Something botherin' ya?"

Her eyes are still on the fire when he asks this. It takes a moment before she meets his eyes. The anger is gone, replaced with intense curiosity.

"That Stop Flow arte you use. Teach me it."

Raven blinks. He scratches his head. "I don't... I don't really know how ta explain it?"

Rita frowns. "Don't be stingy, old man. I want to learn that arte. It'd be helpful for when I'm fighting by myself against a large horde."

"Rita darlin'," he starts, sighing, "considering the way you whip those monsters and men inta shape in two-hundred man melee in the Coliseum, I don't think ya ever have ta worry 'bout that."

Rita flushes slightly, barely visible in the light glow of the fire. "Yeah, well, you never know," she growls, recovering. "So give me the incantation."

"Uh... 'stop the march of time,'" he answers. There's no reason to withhold the spell from her.

Rita hops to her feet and goes into her casting stance, a purple casting sign appearing beneath her feet. "Stop the march of time... Stop Flow!"

The large clock of light characteristic to the arte doesn't appear.

Raven shrugs when Rita blinks, shocked. "Prolly just takes some practice, darlin'. Ya still ain't used to using mana for spells instead of aer for this particular spell yet."

Rita rubs a hand over her face. "You're probably right. I'll keep trying tomorrow."

They fall silent for a long while.

Raven finally decides to say something that's been on his mind for awhile about his Stop Flow arte.  
"Ya know, honestly? I'd rather have a 'Reverse Flow' arte instead'a Stop Flow."

Rita frowns at him, confused as to why he would say such a thing. "Why?"

He shrugs, tilting his head back to look at the stars. "I'd like the chance to do things over, ya know? I wish I had a handy-dandy thinger that could take ol' me back ta the start." He touches the crook of his elbow, glancing down at his arm. "Could be like a little spinner. I could spin it and it would reverse time."

Rita stares at him, utterly bewildered by the direction of the conversation.

He doesn't know why he's suddenly pouring his figurative heart out to her now, but he is and he can't stop. "If I believed in souls, I trade mine for a wish. For that ability."

"You stupid-" Rita's instantly up on her feet. "If you gave up your soul, what would you be then?!"

"I'm jussayin', Rita dear." He puts his hands up, forcing an casual, lopsided grin. "Easy, sugartop. If I could reverse time... I'd redo this morning." He feels his brow wrinkle as he frowns, turning pensive. "Don't know what I did to make you so mad, Rita." He looks up to catch her eyes. "But I don't like seein' ya mad. And if I could go back further?" He closes his eyes. "I wouldn't kidnap Estelle. Then we never would've had the Shrine of Baction incident. And we'd... maybe still be together."

Rita splutters at that, blushing. "Raven... I-"

"Hey, no need ta say anything at all, sweetheart." He lets himself fall back onto the bedroll, closing his eyes. "I just wanted that out there. Just wanted ya ta know I regret it."

Rita doesn't answer. He hears muffled rustling. She probably sat back down.

"S-Sorry about this morning."

He keeps his eyes closed, frowning. "What fer? You're fine, sweetpea."

"I... I was just angry because I really thought you were using me as a placebo for Judith."

Raven isn't sure how reply for a couple of seconds. It's very rare Rita ever shares her feelings so honestly.  
He sits up to look at her. "Rita. No one can replace ya, darlin'. You're too special fer that."

The mage's face colors and instead of throwing a wild insult to cover up her embarrassment, she drops her head. "That girl... Casey. She's..." She looks up again. She looks so young. "She's special too, isn't she?"

"Yeah. She is." Raven touches a hand to his chest. "She's still here. But she ain't alive anymore, Rita." He tilts his head at her, smiling. "An' she wouldn't want me ta wallow in her memory forever."

Rita looks heartbroken at his words. "You... how can you say that...?"

The archer shrugs easily. "Because I don't have a Reverse Flow arte." He rubs his hands over his face tiredly. "I don't have a little spinner that could take ol' me back ta the start. So all I can do is live with the choices and mistakes I've made."

"S-Stupid old man," she mutters, her voice cracking.

Raven looks over and is shocked to find Rita crying. "Rita...?"

"Goddamn unfair world," she growls in between sniffles. She glares with a strange intensity, but the anger is not directed at him. "Why should anyone have to go through stuff like that?"

Raven's at a loss for words. He's never seen Rita so empathetic and open like this before, even when they had been together.

Rita recovers quickly though, wiping at her eyes and flopping down onto her bed roll, back turned towards him. "L-Let's just get some sleep, okay?"

He spends a long moment to stare at her reclined form. She can be surprisingly kind, not fully aware of how cruel the world can be yet.

"Hey, old man." Her voice is still soft, tone with little malice. "You better not go blabbing off about tonight."

"My lips are sealed, milady." Raven bites back a chuckle as he lays back down. "G'night."

A beat passes before the mage replies, "Good... Good night."

Raven closes his eyes. He wants to shelter her, to protect her. Wants to use his Stop Flow arte to prevent anyone or anything from ever laying a hand on her.

He falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

Perhaps his Stop Flow arte isn't so bad after all.

* * *

**End A/N:  
**Raven earned the "Timeline Resetter" title!  
Raven earned the "Puella Magi" title!

_Timeline Resetter:_ Some things an old man just wishes he could do over.  
_Puella Magi:_He's no magical girl, but he can still wish to be like Homura-chan someday!

/flies into the sun


End file.
